Analysis of Hardening Area of Material with Variable Parameters of Laser Beam Cutting.

The cutting process of materials with the use of laser techniques is now widely used in industry. Coupled thermomechanical phenomena occur in the laser cutting zone as a result of the concentrated heat source activity. Due to the high dynamics of the cooling process, the formation of the martensitic transformation is of great importance. This has a significant impact on the local increase in residual stress and hardness. The paper presents a numerical analysis of the laser beam cutting process, where the main research is focused on the cutting zone. A three-dimensional numerical model is developed on the basis of experimental research. The performed experimental tests allow to determine the structural properties in the cutting zone, i.e., microstructure and microhardness. The influence of the laser beam power change on the created cutting zone is analyzed. The material parameters of S235Jr steel changing with temperature are taken into account. The width of the cutting zone is determined numerically on the basis of performed calculations. The range of the heat affected zone and the hardening depth of the cutting zone are determined numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]